RENO, Nev. (May 23, 2016) – The ten-day Reno Rodeo begins Thursday, June 16 and continues through the evening of Saturday, June 25. Laughing kids, full bellies and smiling faces are around every corner during the Rodeo with family-friendly events and activities like the parade, carnival, Kids Day, Junior Roping Challenge and the Special Kids Rodeo.

This year the annual parade will march down a new route in downtown Reno traveling down Virginia St. from Arroyo to Liberty St. beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 18. Enjoy watching the horses, wagons, Miss Reno Rodeo, the three “Young Gun” grand marshals Billy Paganetti, Anthony Carano and David Farahi and so much more as the parade moves through Midtown.

Also new to the parade this year will be a second opportunity for parents to sign their children up for the crowd-favorite event, Mutton Bustin’. There will be an extra 100 slots to fill and parents must sign up during the parade. Children will compete on Kids Day at the indoor arena, Saturday, June 25.

The highly anticipated carnival rides are back at the rodeo and better than ever. Everyone can take advantage of the all-you–can-ride wristbands on sale daily for $30. With a variety of games and exhilarating rides, the carnival is open from 4 p.m. to midnight on weekdays and noon to midnight on weekends. And don’t miss the food stands with classic carnival fare like corn dogs, funnel cake and lemonade or all-American grub like mouthwatering barbeque, Texas Taters and the famous Kick-Ass fries – hand cut fries topped with pulled pork, cheddar cheese, sour cream, green onions and smothered in barbecue sauce.

The Reno Rodeo would not be complete without a day dedicated to the young cowboys and cowgirls in training. On Saturday, June 25 from noon to 3 p.m. the Reno Rodeo will host an interactive Kids Day at the Livestock Events Center Pavilion featuring a 4-H booth where children and adults can interact with various types of animals, a robotic cow and gardening activities hosted by Urban Roots.

Reno Rodeo will be hosting their annual Junior Roping Challenge on Sunday, June 19 in the Indoor Arena at the Rodeo grounds. Registration and check in begins at 8 a.m. with the competition running from 9 a.m. to noon. Junior ropers are broken into three age divisions, and the public is invited to watch and cheer on the young cowgirls and cowboys as they lasso different short, medium and long horn spreads from a few feet away. To participate, register on the Reno Rodeo website.

Every contestant will receive a grab bag of goodies, including t-shirts sponsored by Branded Screen printing. The Bob Feist Invitational and Heel-o-matic are the title sponsors again this year, and provide prizes like custom belt buckles designed by Montana Silversmiths and roping dummies from Heel-o-matic. We also have two custom made saddles donated by Cactus Saddlery and Reno Rodeo Invitational Team Roping. Cactus Ropes provides ropes for the event and additional prizes. Bob Feist will be announcing again this year. He is also our head judge.

A fan favorite event, the Special Kids Rodeo kicks off Sunday, June 19 at 1 p.m. with the national anthem, stick horse barrel racing, hay bail bull riding, horse back riding and so much more. The Special Kids Rodeo gives children and young adults, 18 years of age and younger, with physical and mental exceptionalities the opportunity to participate in rodeo events. Introduced in 1983, this event has become a classic at the Reno Rodeo with nearly 120 participants each year.

For more information about events and tickets for the 97thannual Reno Rodeo, June 16-25, 2016, visit RenoRodeo.com. Tickets can also be purchased in person at the Lawlor Events Center box office. For ticket information only, call 775-784-4444. To order tickets by phone, call 800-325-7328.

# # #

About the Reno Rodeo
The Reno Rodeo is a Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) sanctioned sporting event, and one of the top five rodeos in North America. Reno Rodeo is a non-profit organization made up of more than 500 volunteers. The 97th annual Reno Rodeo takes place June 16-25, 2016. Competition includes bareback, team roping, saddle bronc, tie-down roping, steer wrestling, women’s barrel racing and bull riding. Like Reno Rodeo on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or for more information on the Reno Rodeo, visit www.renorodeo.com.